Tim,
Hoomans are different than fishies, however in both copper damages liver and kidneys. In fish it also damages their gills and sense of smell which can implicate breeding behaviors. In hoomans, copper is linked to Alzheimer's Disease as well as liver damage (cirrhosis).
Dwarf Angelfish are particularly sensitive to copper treatment, [
Here's a study] as are scaleless fish, some large Angelfish, and some Tangs.
Copper also binds with carbonates and precipitates out of the water column. If the pH drops (as is common for QTs) the precipitate will redissolve and cause a spike in copper large enough to be lethal. Copper is not compatible with Prime or AmQuel as those products will convert Cu+2 to Cu+ which is much more toxic and will often be lethal. Copper also stresses the fishes' systems enough that it can make the fish susceptible to other diseases.
With formalin, the fish is only exposed for a short time (45 to 60 minutes). Formalin is compatible with AmQuel and Prime, although the addition of ammonia detoxifiers are not needed in a bath anyway. The toxicity of formalin doesn't change in reaction to pH (or alkalinity). There is a much bigger difference between the treatment range and the LC-50 of Formalin in comparison to copper. The LC-50 of formalin is many times the concentration of typical baths. [
Here's a study]
Formalin is also approved by the FDA to use as treatment for parasites on food fish, where copper is not. [
FDA approved drugs]
I've read a lot of studies on copper and formalin, and I have not come to my conclusions uneducated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TimT
Something else to consider is that 75% of the fish in this hobby have been cyanided when caught...
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Woah. That's quite the statement. I doubt you could support this statement with evidence...? How do you come to this conclusion?